Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday said party co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka remained undeterred despite spending five days in jail, claiming they walked into court with smiles on their faces and their spirits unbroken.
“Ashu and Saurav’s first crime was waving the Tiranga at Jantar Mantar. Their second crime? Refusing to back down. In a lengthy Instagram post, Dipke accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using the state machinery to intimidate young protesters and suppress dissent.
The two were initially sent to five-day judicial custody on October 13 after allegedly climbing over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which had earlier been denotified as a designated protest site. He questioned the government’s decision to keep 26-27-year-old Saurav Das and 30-year-old Ashutosh Ranka in custody for waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar.
Das and Ranka were sent to judicial remand for another two days after being produced before a newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) at Mandir Marg police station, an official said. Even after five days in jail, they walked into court with smiles on their faces, their spirits unbroken,” Dipke said in a post on X. Describing the two leaders’ conduct in court as an example of courage, Dipke said Das had walked in with a smile even after spending five days in jail and learning that his judicial custody had been extended.
On Sunday, the Special Executive Magistrate hearing their bail matter claimed that unknown persons were threatening him, following which police registered a non-cognisable report.
